The coalition Government has a problem and its a fairly big one. Since the borders reopened, our net migration numbers have had more ups and downs than a US trade negotiation. When border restrictions were dropped in late 2022, and with the migrant labour taps having been turned off for two and half years, employers imported talent by the 747 load. Coupled with relaxed visa processing (the rules were the same, just the brakes were taken off), the intake of new kiwis was significant, albeit many of these arrivals actually had no clear pathway to residence.

Fast forward two and half years later, and with an economy fighting back after the covid financial stimulus sugar rush, more New Zealanders are leaving and we have fewer arrivals … arriving. Considering New Zealand has traditionally been a very popular destination for migrants (and arguably still is), something is clearly amiss.

There are several parts of the visa process that create both a lot of questions and also a lot of confusion - and medical assessments (the way INZ assesses your health for a visa) is certainly one of them. It is confusing because there are various forms of assessment that take place and what is being considered or assessed will vary depending on the visa you are applying for. There are different assessments for temporary visas, as compared to residence and different again for partners (of NZ citizens or residents), than to anyone else. Some visas allow for medical waivers and some don’t and then there are all the thresholds to consider, in terms of cost, risk and burden to the NZ health system.

For the vast majority of applicants, who are medically fit and well, there will be no real cause for concern, however for anyone with a blip on the medical radar, the process can be very different. Applications can be delayed due to the assessment process, requests for more information and then securing follow up appointments (particularly with specialists).

So this week, in what might be a bit of a lengthy article, we are going to break this all down and demystify the medical process for New Zealand visas, explain how the different medicals are assessed, the process for a medical waiver and how to prepare for your medical, to avoid the potential lengthy delays that the medical assessment process can bring.

During the course of this week, I had the unfortunate opportunity to engage in some spirited Facebook debate over a proposed petition to reduce English language requirements for a specific group of Visa holders, looking to apply for Residence. The author of this post and it appears the individual behind the petition, was arguing that the existing English language testing standard was too high for Truck Drivers.

His argument, which appeared to be more about self-promotion than anything that came close to common sense, was that Truck Driver’s dont need to speak English as well as every other migrant, because…well because they drive Trucks. What he failed to appreciate is that our English language testing, particularly under the Skilled Migrant category is not just about your ability to do your job, through the use of English but also how well you can integrate in to society more generally. You might not need to use fluent English, when you are behind the wheel (although I would argue its still important), but when you are in urgent need of medical care, need to speak to your children’s teachers or require any other form of assistance, being able to converse in one of the key languages in your new home, is incredibly important.

You might be wondering how alpacas might fit in to any discussion the New Zealand immigration process, but trust me there is a connection, or rather the connection is to where you might find them - small town New Zealand. I have just come back from a few days away with my family in Waihi and as part of that trip, we stayed on an alpaca farm, hosted by some ex-Aucklanders who had escaped the chaos of big city life, for something a little more relaxing.

That trip got me to thinking about how underrated, life in our small centers can be, particularly if you are considering relocating here from distant shores. Most would-be migrants are attracted to our main cities (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch etc.) given the potential availability of work, however small town New Zealand has a lot going for it and for some migrants, might just be the escape they are looking for.

Predicting what might happen in the NZ immigration space, is a bit like predicting the weather…you hear the reports, you prepare for sunny weather and then you end up completely soaked. What appears to be on the horizon, in terms of a squall or a sunny day can rapidly change and what the forecasters (read those active social media speculators) might predict is coming your way, is usually not quite the same when it actually arrives.

I have previously written about some of the immigration changes that we expect to see in the next twelve months and thanks to having spent over two decades in this industry, I belong to a number of industry groups that have been consulting on some of the proposals the Minister is looking to roll out.

There is clearly a lot on the immigration policy agenda for this year, and we have already seen a fair few changes being rolled out (and its only April). So in this weeks article, we are taking a look at what else might be on the New Zealand immigration horizon.

This week, we are going to do something a little different and instead of a lengthy written piece on policy or process, I am going to introduce you to someone who has made the move, lived the experience and then come out the other side. For everyone, the process of moving from one country to another is unique and presents its very own set of challenges, however there are some common themes for most migrants.

In this weeks article, I sit down with Greg Bolek a nearly recent arrival from Canada. Greg and his family made the move, during one of the most unsettling periods on our immigration history (the Covid pandemic) and his relocation was far from simple, however he has made it through and successfully settled in NZ, establishing his own business.

Join me and Greg for an introduction to some of things that you should consider if you are also looking at making New Zealand your new home.

This week, we are going to do something a little different and instead of a lengthy written piece on policy or process, I am going to introduce you to someone who has made the move, lived the experience and then come out the other side. For everyone, the process of moving from one country to another is unique and presents its very own set of challenges, however there are some common themes for most migrants.

In this weeks article, I sit down with Greg Bolek a nearly recent arrival from Canada. Greg and his family made the move, during one of the most unsettling periods on our immigration history (the Covid pandemic) and his relocation was far from simple, however he has made it through and successfully settled in NZ, establishing his own business.

Join me and Greg for an introduction to some of things that you should consider if you are also looking at making New Zealand your new home.

Yesterday we had a Resident Visa approved for an applicant who is the partner to a New Zealand citizen…we do these all the time and in fact, if I had an area that I specialise in, it would probably be partnership-based applications. They are all unique, because relationships are unique and that’s probably why I enjoy them so much.

This particular application was similarly unique and had some challenges along the way, namely due to the age difference of the applicants (it shouldn’t be, but usually is a factor), the fact that when we started, the couple had never lived together and the usual challenges in securing the level of evidence that INZ tends to demand.

In our line of work, there is obviously nothing worse than having a Visa declined and thankfully, given the way we operate that doesn’t happen very often. Whilst we could claim some sort of ludicrously high success rate, the reality is, Visas are declined for various reasons. For us and on the very rare occasions that an application is rejected, it is almost always because the application carried a degree of risk that we would have prepared the applicant for or something surfaced during the process, that we were not made aware of.

The reason we are able to avoid applications being declined, is because we understand what each visa requires, and even if there are some challenges we can generally plan ahead for them. In the rare situations where we can’t predict the outcome, we let our clients know in advance and warn them before they make the decision to proceed. Having decades of experience helps you figure out what will work and what is potentially going to fail.